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Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen as employees of Women and Women First bookstore.

My Trip

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Image courtesy of IFC

The sketch comedy show Portlandia skewers (and fabricates) some hilarious Portland personalities and experiences. But how do too-funny-to-be-true sketches stack up against the real deal? Find out for yourself by visiting the sites where some favorite Portlandia Season 1 scenes were filmed.

Season 1, episode 1

The Dream of the ‘90s

The sketch

The dream of the ‘90s is alive in Portland — at least that’s what a crew of bearded and flannelled, pierced and tattooed singers in Portlandia’s first-ever sketch would have you believe.

The location

Filmed at the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade in Southeast Portland. If you want to stroll along the waterfront with your clown posse, make your way over to the floating walkway, which offers some of the best views of Portland’s downtown skyline.

Hide and Seek

The sketch

Portland’s Adult Hide-And-Seek League takes cover among the stacks of a library. This isn’t dodgeball, kickball or any of that nonsense — there’s strategy to this!

The location

Filmed at the Portland Community College – Cascade Campus in Northeast Portland. A small, urban college, hide-and-seek (by adults or children) isn’t exactly encouraged here, but you can find an excellent art gallery and lovely pieces of public art spread all over campus.

Feminist Bookstore

The sketch

Toni and Candace welcome the likes of Steve Buscemi (in this episode’s “Customers Only”), Heather Graham and Aubrey Plaza as customers at Women and Women First Bookstore.

The location

Filmed at In Other Words, a volunteer-run, nonprofit, feminist community center and bookstore, on Northeast Killingsworth Street. Their packed event calendar has everything from poetry slams to yoga sessions for women.

Season 1, Episode 2

Bike Rider

Bicycle rights! Hipster Spike pedals all over the streets of Portland, showing vehicles who’s the boss.

The location

Filmed outside Powell’s City of Books on West Burnside Street and all around the Pearl District. Lock up your ride at the bike racks in front of Powell’s and stroll (don’t roll) through the world’s largest independent bookstore.

Outdoor Restaurant

Who would tie a dog up!? Kathy and Dave get to the bottom of this outrageous act of neglect — or simply dog ownership — at an outdoor restaurant.

The location

Filmed at the Firehouse Restaurant in Northeast Portland. Standing for more than 100 years, this former working firehouse serves up rich and fare that’s big on flavor, like their array of mozzarella-smothered pizzas, and their wood-grilled steaks and fish main courses.

Put A Bird On It

The sketch

In this sketch that gave both “Portlandia” and Portland an enduring tagline, a pair of over-eager artists go nuts adorning items with birds, until things get a little too real.

The location

At Land on North Mississippi Avenue, you’ll find clothes, cards and gifts adorned with Portland-centric motifs like bridges, bikes, beer and – yes – birds. Upstairs, a small gallery features monthly shows from local artists.

Fun fact: Land is the brick-and-mortar incarnation of buyolympia.com, which was founded in Olympia, Wash., where Portlandia star Carrie Brownstein attended college and started her band, Sleater-Kinney.

Season 1, Episode 4

Did You Read?

The sketch

Coffee shop patrons try to one-up each other with media and literary references, until their passion for consuming print takes over.

The location

Filmed at James John Cafe in St. Johns. With house-cured meats, perfectly poached eggs and Water Avenue Coffee on the menu, you won’t even think of eating their magazines.

Season 1, Episode 5

Blunderbuss

The sketch

Festival fever takes over Portlandia, with events all over town. From concerts to post-movie question and answer sessions with the director, every stage seems to be filled in this episode (and in Portland, come summertime).

The location

Filmed at Hollywood Theatre, a restored movie house from the golden age of the silver screen, where you’ll find everything from B-movies to best picture contenders.

The Deuce Hotel

The sketch

With turntables, vintage typewriters, real books and so-bad-they’re-good records for loan, this hipster haven would be the perfect overnight in Portlandia — if you could get into your room.

The location

Filmed at the Sentinel and Hotel deLuxe (exteriors), this sketch spoofs on the Ace Hotel, which loans out bikes (or rents out even swankier handmade two-wheelers, for a price), serves Stumptown coffee from a French press, and is dog-friendly because, well, dogs are cool. So, it’s not that different than the Deuce.

Bonus: At the Ace, you could conceivably run into Portland musicians like James Mercer or Colin Meloy, who had cameos in this skit.

At Land on North Mississippi Avenue, you'll see the spot where over-eager artists "Put a Bird on It."

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Mentioned in this Article

The Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade is 1.5 miles long, extending north from the Hawthorne Bridge, past the Morrison and Burnside Bridges, to the Steel Bridge with connections to eastside neighborhoods as well…

As the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon, Portland Community College serves more than 93,000 full-time and part-time students. It fills a unique role, one that offers high quality education and opportunities for…

In Other Words is a non-profit, volunteer-run, feminist community center in Portland (and the inspiration behind Portlandia‘s “Women and Women First” feminist bookstore). In Other Words strives to inspire and cultivate feminist…

From humble storefront beginnings in 1971, Powell’s has grown into a Portland landmark and one of the world’s great bookstores. Covering an entire city block, Powell’s City of Books contains more than 1.5 million…

Sentinel, one of Portland’s most iconic downtown hotels, pays tribute to historic visionaries and serves as the nexus of the city’s creative class. The hotel features an art collection that includes larger…

Nestled within easy walking distance of downtown Portland shopping, restaurants and dining, Hotel deLuxe is the perfect escape for those seeking a luxurious sleep, gracious service and a dash of glamour inspired…

A simple, stylish business-class boutique hotel that features vintage furniture, original art and eco-friendly elements. The Ace Hotel’s 79 rooms are modern, bohemian and pet-friendly, and there are even some shared-room options…